Mumbai, Jan 14: After a nine-year gap, the BMC elections are set to take place, making them among the most closely watched local body polls in the country. On January 15, as many as 1,03,44,315 voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 1,700 candidates.
To ensure smooth voting, the civic body has set up 2,600 polling locations with 10,231 booths across government, cooperative and private premises.
Backed by the deployment of 25,000 police personnel and 64,375 civic staff, the BMC will also, for the first time, use Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) machines to enable smooth and uninterrupted counting.
Preparation for big day
The BMC 2026 elections are scheduled for Thursday, January 15, from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, with counting to follow the next day. In preparation, BMC staff distributed election materials, including voter lists, essential voting documents, stamps, seals, ink, identification bands and instruction manuals across all polling centres.
On Wednesday, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr Ashwini Joshi conducted an on-site inspection of the polling material distribution centre at Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex in Andheri (West), reviewing the entire process in detail.
For vote counting, strong rooms and counting locations have been designated under each Election Officer’s office, and the distribution of ballot boxes and election materials was successfully completed across 23 divisional centres on the same day.
Awareness and security
To address historically low voter turnout, often below 50%, civic authorities also organised vibrant flash mobs at iconic locations such as the Gateway of India, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan in Powai and Oberoi Mall in Goregaon, energising citizens and highlighting the importance of voting.
On polling day, the police administration will maintain strict security to ensure law and order, with special attention given to locations housing more than ten polling centres.
For the first time, a geofencing system is being used to strictly monitor vehicles involved in the election process. Through this technology, the movements of 2,865 vehicles participating in the election are being closely tracked in real time.
Duplicate voters challenge
A total of 1.68 lakh voters were identified as duplicates within or across wards. Of these, 48,628 have submitted Annexure 2 to confirm their voting ward. The remaining 1.19 lakh voters must present two ID proofs and fill Annexure 2 at the booth; their names will then be removed from other wards.
Mobile phones to be switched off
The BMC has urged voters not to carry mobile phones to polling stations. “We have not received any specific directives from the State Election Commission regarding mobile phones at polling booths. However, we advise voters to avoid carrying them, and if they do, the phones should be switched off inside the polling stations,” Gagrani said.
Where to find voters list
Voters can find all election-related information on the BMC’s official website, mcgm.gov.in, under the Elections tab. For additional guidance, citizens can visit the BMC’s social media handles on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube, or check https://mahasecvoterlist.in/ to locate their polling booth and access voter details.
Arrangements at polling booths
. Drinking water, waiting areas, clean toilets, adequate lighting, ramps, wheelchairs, standard booths and clear signage.
. Priority given to differently-abled voters, pregnant women and senior citizens.
. Each ward will have a “Pink Sakhi” booth managed entirely by women, including police and security personnel.
. 4,500 volunteers will assist with queues, crowd management, and helping differently-abled and senior voters.
. Any voter entering the polling premises before 5.30 pm will receive a token and be allowed to cast their vote.
Also Watch:
Voter and candidate details
Total voters: 1,03,44,315
Male: 55,16,707
Female: 48,26,509
Other: 1,099
Candidates: 1,700
Male: 822
Female: 878
Civic staff: 64,375
Polling centres: 4,704 – government premises; 782 – cooperative societies; 5,125 – private premises.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
